Exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through Mendelian randomization analysis
Abstract Educational attainment (EA) has been linked to the risk of several types of cancer, despite having no expected direct biological connection. In this paper, we investigate the mediating role of alcohol consumption, smoking, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption and body mass index (BMI) i...
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Nature Portfolio
2024-03-01
|
| Series: | Scientific Reports |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54259-7 |
| _version_ | 1797259350657466368 |
|---|---|
| author | Loukas Zagkos Alexander Schwinges Hasnat A. Amin Terry Dovey Fotios Drenos |
| author_facet | Loukas Zagkos Alexander Schwinges Hasnat A. Amin Terry Dovey Fotios Drenos |
| author_sort | Loukas Zagkos |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Educational attainment (EA) has been linked to the risk of several types of cancer, despite having no expected direct biological connection. In this paper, we investigate the mediating role of alcohol consumption, smoking, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption and body mass index (BMI) in explaining the effect of EA on 7 cancer groupings. Large-scale genome wide association study (GWAS) results were used to construct the genetic instrument for EA and the lifestyle factors. We conducted GWAS in the UK Biobank sample in up to 335,024 individuals to obtain genetic association data for the cancer outcomes. Univariable and multivariable two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses and mediation analyses were then conducted to explore the causal effect and mediating proportions of these relations. MR mediation analysis revealed that reduced lifetime smoking index accounted for 81.7% (49.1% to 100%) of the protective effect of higher EA on lower respiratory cancer. Moreover, the effect of higher EA on lower respiratory cancer was mediated through vegetable consumption by 10.2% (4.4% to 15.9%). We found genetic evidence that the effect of EA on groups of cancer is due to behavioural changes in avoiding well established risk factors such as smoking and vegetable consuming. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:08:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-4e0a7bae92b6474db2a2069829904da1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2045-2322 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-24T23:08:02Z |
| publishDate | 2024-03-01 |
| publisher | Nature Portfolio |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Scientific Reports |
| spelling | doaj.art-4e0a7bae92b6474db2a2069829904da12024-03-17T12:22:56ZengNature PortfolioScientific Reports2045-23222024-03-0114111010.1038/s41598-024-54259-7Exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through Mendelian randomization analysisLoukas Zagkos0Alexander Schwinges1Hasnat A. Amin2Terry Dovey3Fotios Drenos4Department of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University LondonDepartment of Infectious Diseases, Faculty of Medicine, National Heart & Lung Institute, Imperial College LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University LondonDepartment of Life Sciences, College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences, Brunel University LondonAbstract Educational attainment (EA) has been linked to the risk of several types of cancer, despite having no expected direct biological connection. In this paper, we investigate the mediating role of alcohol consumption, smoking, vegetable consumption, fruit consumption and body mass index (BMI) in explaining the effect of EA on 7 cancer groupings. Large-scale genome wide association study (GWAS) results were used to construct the genetic instrument for EA and the lifestyle factors. We conducted GWAS in the UK Biobank sample in up to 335,024 individuals to obtain genetic association data for the cancer outcomes. Univariable and multivariable two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses and mediation analyses were then conducted to explore the causal effect and mediating proportions of these relations. MR mediation analysis revealed that reduced lifetime smoking index accounted for 81.7% (49.1% to 100%) of the protective effect of higher EA on lower respiratory cancer. Moreover, the effect of higher EA on lower respiratory cancer was mediated through vegetable consumption by 10.2% (4.4% to 15.9%). We found genetic evidence that the effect of EA on groups of cancer is due to behavioural changes in avoiding well established risk factors such as smoking and vegetable consuming.https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54259-7 |
| spellingShingle | Loukas Zagkos Alexander Schwinges Hasnat A. Amin Terry Dovey Fotios Drenos Exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through Mendelian randomization analysis Scientific Reports |
| title | Exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through Mendelian randomization analysis |
| title_full | Exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through Mendelian randomization analysis |
| title_fullStr | Exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through Mendelian randomization analysis |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through Mendelian randomization analysis |
| title_short | Exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through Mendelian randomization analysis |
| title_sort | exploring the contribution of lifestyle to the impact of education on the risk of cancer through mendelian randomization analysis |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54259-7 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT loukaszagkos exploringthecontributionoflifestyletotheimpactofeducationontheriskofcancerthroughmendelianrandomizationanalysis AT alexanderschwinges exploringthecontributionoflifestyletotheimpactofeducationontheriskofcancerthroughmendelianrandomizationanalysis AT hasnataamin exploringthecontributionoflifestyletotheimpactofeducationontheriskofcancerthroughmendelianrandomizationanalysis AT terrydovey exploringthecontributionoflifestyletotheimpactofeducationontheriskofcancerthroughmendelianrandomizationanalysis AT fotiosdrenos exploringthecontributionoflifestyletotheimpactofeducationontheriskofcancerthroughmendelianrandomizationanalysis |